Vending machine



Oct. 28, 1941. JJROSAN VENDING MACHINE Filed April- 12, 195-7 4 Sheets-Sheet l W/TA/AISS WAW Oct. 28, 1941. J. ROSAN 2,260,643

VENDING MACHINE Filed April 12 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 l V J j notify would-be customers that Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Joseph man StITlZZ-t38319 Application April 12,

The present invention is an improvement upon the invention constituting the subject matter of my application Serial No. 121,165, filed January 18, 1937, for improvements in Vending machines.

The principal objects of the present invention are to make parts of the mechanism described in said application more compact in order to increase the available space for the commodities which are to be vended; to guard against a refund for empty bottles which were not initially delivered by-the machine, and to the machine is empty and to prevent the delivery of empty bottles to customers.

To these and other ends hereinafter stated or appearing the invention comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is an section of the chest in which the full bottles or containers are supplied to the machine and which delivers the full bottles and receives the empty bottles and which is transferred from a central station to the vending machine cabinet.

Figure 2 is an elevational view partly in section drawn to an enlarged scale and showing coin receiving and bottle release actuating mechanisms.

Figure 3 is a view in cross-section centrally of Fig. drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating bottle release mechanism, illustrating in' full and dotted lines two positions.

Figure 4 is a view in cross-section just inside the lower or left hand edge of the casing and outside the nearest edge of the levers l3 and I4 as seen in Fig. 5 and similar to Figure 3 showing the parts in diflerent positions.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the same mechanism.

Figures 6 and 7 are views partly in elevation and partly in section of bottles upon which the operation of the-vending mechanism is dependent and with which the vending mechanisms contributeto produce the single result attained.

Figure 8 is a top or plan view or a plate which may be arranged at the bottle entrance of the drawer that receives the empty bottles and it is out out in the silhouette of the latter.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross-section on line 9-9 of Fig. 1 showing the stop.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, l indicates a chest heat inelevation principally in central coins paid for the pivoted at [0 and to the floating or moving stationary pivot l6 and the sulated as at 2. This chest is detachable from a vending cabinet. The chest, as will hereinafter appear, is charged with full bottles, for example of milk, at a central station and is transferred to the vending cabinet which may be located away from the central station. It receives the full bottles and it receives and pays for empty bottles so that all of the money is handled at a central station. 3 indicates runners disposed so as to provide a zig-zag path from the top to. the bottom or the conta-iner. v The full bottles a and the empty bottles b roll along this path and a dummy or a reversed bottle 0 is interposed between the full and the empty bottles. The vfull bottles are delivered through the open end of the zig-zag path which is normally closed by the gate 4. The gate 4 is spring pressed to closed position and it is provided with insulation and with a seal-ing gasket 4. After passing through the opening at the gate the bottles are delivered to the customer. The spring returned crown cam 5, Fig. 2, is actuated by the .customer through the interventlon of the handle 6 and by means of a coin d' inserted in a proper slot in the coin mechanism 8 which deposits coins d into .the receptacle 1 in a corner of the chest I. The receptacle 'l is in the form of a drawer and is locked by means of a lock 1 The particular coin mechanism 8 forms no part of the present invention. When the cam 5 is turned in-the required manner it operates upon one end of a lever 9 the other end ll of the lever is fastened a cord or cable [2 through the intervention of a turn buckle 29. The end II o! .the lever is made in two parts which can be adjusted in respect to the center III by means of a set screw 30. Near the gate [the path 3 for the bottles follows a sharp decline. There are (Figures 3, 4 and 5) two levers l3 and I4 each having two arms and each retracted by a spring. The two levers are pivoted together at l5 and the lever H is pivoted to a fixed pivot IS. The cable or wire I2 is connected to the pivot l5. Lever I3 is H-shaped having pivot l5 at one end; while. lever ll is of U-shape having the stationary pivot l6 intermediate its ends and pivot ii at one end. A spring is coiled around stationary pivot l6 and has one end pressing against stationary stop H and its other end pressing against the cross-bar of lever ll so as to stress lever It in counterclockwise direction. Another spring is coiled around pivot 15 and has one end pressing against other end pressing against the cross-bar of lever I2 so as to stress lever l3 towards movement in a counter-clockwise direction. Lever l8 normally projects into the path of the bottles which have passed stop l8. The lever l3, when there are no bottles in the chest in contact with lever l3, serves as a stop for preventing movement or actuation of the coin receiving mechanism. It does this by abutting upon the abutment I! which is beneath path 3 and within range of the movement of the inner end of lever l3, as shown in Figure 3. However, when bottles are present they push the lever I 3 into the position shown in Figure 4 so that it rests against the support Il and is free to slide along the support I! until its other end is against the stop H as indicated in dotted lines. The levers l3 and I4 are thus free to move from their positions shown in solid lines in Fig. 4 to those shown in dotted lines in the same figure, the lever It thus releasing a bottle for delivery while the lever ll retains in the chest the bottle immediately following. The guard l8, Figs. 1, 3 and 4 cooperates with the form of the bottles to let them pass over to the bottle release mechanism shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 and also cooperates with the form of the dummy or reversed bottle 0 to prevent it from passing over to said mechanism. Stop l8 may be either a baifle plate such as 25 as shown in Fig. 8, a half of such a baiile plate with that silhouette which corresponds to the silhouette of the bottle placed upward as shown in Fig. 9, or it may be simply a pin located off the longitudinal center of the bottles so as to co-operate with the depression 2| in the bottle of Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 in one position thereof and allow the bottle to pass and to stop the bottle in the reversed position thereof. The form of the bottle and the mechanisms described herein are dependent upon each other and mutually contribute to produce the single result of selling only full bottles and of paying only for the return of bottles previously sold by the machine, or otherwise stated, the single result of automaticallydispensing milk or other beverages from a cabinet located, for example, in a school or other public, place. That the bottles may roll along the inclined path requires that they shall have cylindrical form at or near each end. This is provided at I9 and 20 (Figs. 6 and 7). In order that the bottles may pass over the guard l8 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) and in order that the dummy or reversed bottle c may not do so, the bottles are reduced at certain ofi center portions 2| and 2| (Figs. 6 and 7) the guard l8 being so located and so shaped as to cooperate with these reduced portions to let saidv bottles a pass. Hence the cylindrical portions of a dummy bottle 0, or the reduced portions of a bottle reversed do not correspond with the location or shape of the guard l8 and thus may not pass over said guard. Referring to Fig. 1, the empty bottles are returned to the drawer 22 which is provided with a sealing gasket 22 and from the drawer they roll along the zig-zag path. In doing so they actuate a coin refund lever 23 which actuates a coin refund mechanism 24, the details of which need not be described because they are no part of the present invention. The result of the machine would not be accomplished if bottles of ordinary shape could be put into the drawer 22 and a refund obtained for them. Therefore, the plate 25, Fig. 8, at the bottle entrance of the drawer, is cut out in the silhouette of the bottle illustrated in Figs. 6 or 7. Consequently only or the full bottles may be placed aae us bottles of that silhouette can be put into the drawer and used in obtaining a refund. Baille plate 26 is amodiflcation which may be omitted if desired. Referring to Figure 3 the lever I8 is in the position shown when the dummy bottle is held by the guard Id, at the exit of the zigzag path. The operation of lever I2 and stop I! is as follows. As shown in Fig. 3, when no bottle is present, the springs cause lever II to stand upright and thus cause the lower end of lever I: to engage stop [1 when lever Ills pulled to the left by cable l2. As seen in Fig. 4, however, if a bottle is present, the weight of the bottle presses lever it around a floating pivot IE, towards stop I'l so that, when cable I2 is pulled to the left, the lower end of lever l2 clears stop It and continues until it abuts stop H. The abutting end of lever I3 is included in a circuit 28 which operates, when the circuit -is closed by the abutting end of lever l8 against the abutment H, to actuate the signal 21 as by lighting a lamp which displays the empty sign.

The entire chest or container can be opened by means of a cover 28, Fig. 1, which is provided with insulation and with a sealing gasket 28'.

While the invention has been described in connection with milk bottles its application is not limited to milk.

The operation of the vending machine isas follows: At a central station, such as a milkbottling plant, the cover 28 of the chest'is removed and the empty bottles removed from the chest by taking out the drawer 22, detaching the cover 28 and inverting the chest or by actuating the coin-controlled bottle-dispensing mechanism by means of a slug or the like. The empty bottles and the chest are then cleaned and sterilized. The coins received in payment for the full bottles are removed from the receptacles 1. The cleaned, sterilized chest is then ready for re-use. The drawer 22 having been removed, the entrance of full bottles is provided for without passing through the baiiie plate 25, in chest I through the opening left by the removal of cover 28 and behind the bafiie plate 25. A supply of coins is placed in the coin-refund mechanism. If desired, a dummy or reversed bottle c may be placed at the end of the full bottles a or this may be omitted. Ice or other cooling medium may be placed on the full bottles a if these are to be sold cold. Thecover 28 is then secured in position and the chest I is ready to be transported to the place at which the sales are to be made. Purchasers then buy full bottles by operating the coin-controlled bottle-dispensing mechanism 8. The sale of each full bottle a leaves a space to which an empty bottle b may be returned. Thus the full capacity of the chest I may be utilized for full or empty bottles at all times. The empty bottles can only be returned through bafile plate 25 in such a position that they will not pass the stop l8. When all the full bottles a have been sold, a reversed or dummy bottle 0, or the first of the empty bottles b to be returned to the machine, strikes the stop l8, over which it cannot pass. This prevents further actuation of the bottle-delivery mechanism 8 and thus prevents respective customers from depositing their coins and not receiving a full bottle.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and matters of mere form without departing from the spirit of position of said the invention which is not limited in respect to such matters, or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.

'1 claim:

1. A unit structure for insertion in a vending cabinet comprising a casing having a zig-zag magazine for filled bottles and said magazine having an entrance near the top of the casing for the insertion of empty bottles and an exit near the bottom of the casing for the delivery of filled bottles, a baflie plate at the entrance of the magazine and having a cutout for permitting the insertion ot a bottle of predetermined contour, the cut-out corresponding to the silhouette of the predetermined bottle, a delivery mechanism at the exit oi the magazine and having means engaged by a filled bottle for controlling the operation thereof, said magazine adapted to contain a supply of filled bottles of the predetermined contour when the unit structure is inserted into the vending cabinet, said filled bottles having end portions or the same. diameter for rollingly engaging the magazine and contracted or reduced portions,-said magazine also being adapted to contain a reversed bottle of the same contour engaging the topmost filled bottle but arranged in a reverse position with respect to the filled bottle, and a stop in the magazine adjacent the delivery mechanism,

so constructed that the filledbottles will pass the stop but thereversed bottle will be detained whereby, when the lastfilled bottle is dispensed, the means previously will be operated to prevent further actuation of the delivery means.

2. In a dispensing the combination oi, a chest having an exit for dispensing bottles therefrom and adapted to contain bottles to be dispensed and having an inlet for bottles thereto and adapted to collect used bottles, each of said bottles being non-symmetrical with respect to anaxis, a stop in said chest permitting said bottles to pass to said exit in one position of said bottles and holding said bottles irom passing to said exit in the reverse bottles, and a baiiie plate coempty bottles,

engaged by the filled bottle and collecting machine,

operating with said inlet whereby said bottles can only be placed in said chest in such a position as not to pass said stop.

3. In a dispensing and collecting machine, the combination of, a heat-insulated chest adapted for attachment to and detachment from a vending cabinet and to contain bottles to be dispensed and to receive bottles to be collected and having an exit for dispensing bottles and an inlet for collecting bottles, a path from said inlet to said exitin said chest holding said bottles in alignment in their passage through the chest, said bottles having a silhouette which is non-symmetrical lengthwise of their longitudinal axes, a 'stopin said chest adjacent said exit and having an outline corresponding to the silhouette 01 said bottles whereby said bottles can pass said stop in but one position of said bottles, and a bailie plate insaid chest adjacent said inlet and having an outline corresponding to the silhouette of said bottles whereby said bottles can only be returned to said chest in a position in which they will not pass said stop.

4. A unit structure adapted for insertion into a vending cabinet and detachment therefrom and comprising, a chest having its full capacity available at all times to contain bottles to be receive empty soiled bottles to be collected, the chest having an inlet for empty bottles and having an outlet for dispensing bottles, a path from said inlet to said outlet in said chest ior holding said bottles in transverse alignment in their passage through the chest, said bottles having a silhouette which is nonsymmetrical lengthwise of theirlongitudinal axes, a manually operable bottle-dispensing mechanism located in said path between said inlet and said outlet and close to said outlet, and a fixed stop in said chest and in said path between said inlet and said dispensing mechanism and close to said dispensing mechanism and co-operating with the silhouette 01 said bottles whereby said bottles can pass said stop in but one position of said bottles.

JOSEPH ROBAN. 

